The seasons mark the movement of time. The longest night has passed, and we turn slowly toward more light. It’s winter with long nights and cold: This is stressful for animals and humans alike. Food and heat are particularly precious. During this time we are reminded that we depend upon each other. The future is a promise, but how you perceive it is a choice.

2006 has arrived! It is a giant present tied with a simple bow. The months are like false sides that fall away, one- by-one to reveal the gift inside. Time pulls the ribbon and sets it free. As the future prepares to open, are you excited or fearful? Let’s look at the potential of the planets as we move through the Winter Stars.

Nothing Slow about This Winter: Dust off your running shoes and pull out your resume. This is a great period to start something new, big, or to make a change. If the fall of 2005 was characterized by frustration, the Winter of 2006 is the time of action. From politics to the Market, things are moving. You’ll want to be part of the action so move your body, commit to that exercise or education plan, grab a friend….or lover… and enjoy the ride. No guarantees that it will be a gentle ride, but I can promise you that this is the year of change. It’s up to you whether you’ll jump on it or run from it, but there is action, even in resistance. Put a pencil on your finger: to hold it steady, you cannot move. To get it to move toward or away from someone or something requires action and balance. That balance is as ancient as wisdom itself: mind, body and spirit. Pay homage to all three and you’ll enjoy the year. Listen to them and you can make internal and external changes that could last you a lifetime. That New Year’s Resolution never felt so resolute!

Winter of Wisdom: The heavens are divided into lunar mansions. It is interesting that most of the planets are currently in a group called the “white” mansions that are deeply soulful and known for heightened sensitivity and awareness. This is really good for peace talks and collaboration. Venus and Mars are also involved in active relationship with each other. In January, Mars is forceful and Venus soulful. On February 4th, Mars and Venus enter a mutual aspect that really helps love at every level from romance to the transpersonal love that connects all beings and their universe. Finally, on March 29th there is a Solar Eclipse in a place of the heavens known for heightened, energetic kundalini awareness. In fact, this eclipse would be the perfect time to spend time alone to listen to your heart or at least some soulful music. Regardless of where your heart begins this year, you are offered the gift of a patient, compassionate, hopeful future. How can you find the gifts? First, you must give them. Jupiter is a generous planet; this quarter he will throw his gifts out to the world. To catch some you must be willing to give.

This Winter, the planets are so active that we’ll even see our government in action. The group of 14 led by Lieberman and McCain are front and center keeping the judicial branch strong. There is more direct action in the news this month and in a while. Again, the Constitution will be reviewed and the judicial branch will be busy doing their part: making laws. It starts in January, but keeps on moving.

Now, let’s get back to the gifts this Winter 2006 has to offer. These are just the starting point; there are many gifts so look for them daily and share them generously.

January: The Gift of Compassionate Action. Venus opens your heart while Mars steps on the accelerator. The Moon is a tiny sliver of light. It sits near Venus, the planet of love. Venus has been very bright in the heavens, now it’s hard to see her because she slips between the Earth and the Sun and seems to disappear. During January, Venus appears to go backward. She lingers in a lunar mansion known for soulful tolerance and compassionate acceptance.

This is a great month to look around you. Do you see people to blame or those to acclaim? What you see around you is as much a reflection of your perspective as those people. Ever talk to someone who seems intent on proving that his perspective is correct and things are going from bad to worse? Ever been with someone who is excited about how hopeful things are? Which person you want to spend your New Year with is highly reflective of you. Venus slowly slips between matter and ego: the Earth and the Sun. You can find compassionate understanding to share, or lose the transit of Venus to self-gratifying blame. It is your future and your choice. When Venus appears to go backward, I hear many stories of lost love or friends reunited. January finds many of us looking back or finding the past suddenly appears on our caller ID. It’s a perfect time to review the good things from your past and to heal family pain.

Mars, the passionate planet, is really strong and throws himself into fast forward. As we begin the New Year, he pulls away from the frustrating grasp of Saturn and doesn’t look back. This combination appears in the charts of many folks who are successful, but they have learned patience with others, as well as themselves. You could say that tension is conducive to internal drive, but enough is enough already! Mars gains momentum and leaps into action…any action. Have some goals set so you can pull toward them rather than push your partner or friends. Yep, it’s the ol’ push-pull of life played out on a daily basis. Jupiter throws his optimism at Mars and Saturn pulls out of the obstacle seat. Jupiter loves to take a risk and he enjoys both teaching and learning.

What a great month to take a class or simply study at home. If you get really excited, you’ll want to share what you’ve learned with everyone. Be patient, they have things to share too. It could take a while to exchange. Do you have a planet between 15 and 22 of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn in your Vedic chart? [9-16 Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius of your Western Chart] You get relief; but we all are ready for a fresh start. Sometimes a long period of stress helps us appreciate the flow. It’s flowing now and throughout this quarter. This month Samuel Alito begins the confirmation process. More importantly the nation looks at the Constitution. It’s a broad- reaching document: The nation will review which “Truths” we hold today as self evident. Mars action faces Jupiter, beliefs. If we challenge the Constitution, what will we put in its place? These are big questions and we need time and vision to ponder them. But ponder we will, starting this month.

Pluto is Reborn in 2006: Pluto spent the last 13 months in a destructive place in the heavens. Hindu astrologers call this a place for death by drowning. Sometimes they are too literal. Now he moves into a place of rebirth. You probably already feel a fresh vitality. Life and death are part of one great cycle. Follow the exciting flow forward and don’t look back. That’s easy to say, but sometimes hard to face. This year, Pluto brings opportunity. It feels like a giant current in a river. It pulls us toward something greater than pettiness as usual. Take a deep breath and go with it. This is an exciting year. If you have a planet at 0-3 degree Sagittarius Vedic or 25-28 degrees Sag. Western, you are in the flow, trust it. We are right in there with you. Go ahead, take the plunge.

February: the Gift of Time and Attention: Look around, who is willing to listen to you? Who will sit while you spin your favorite oldies or argue your position with the radio or TV? These are precious folks: Find them in your inbox or on the phone when you need them. Venus slows to a stop and starts to move forward on the 3rd. Just in time for Valentine’s Day—we look forward to love, friendship and a little happy music. Neptune is the soulful planet of etheric sounds. He has dominion over all things spiritual and anything that deals with altered states, including distilled spirits! He joins Mercury, the communication planet, and the Sun for at least two weeks of talking, listening and melodic transcendence of the daily grind. The first half of February is all about love. Venus gathers momentum and so does Mars. The old Yin /Yang of the universe is alive and well. This is a great time to take a dance class and learn to follow the rhythm and maybe even your partner. This combination is also good for spiritual guidance. The attention is available, if we’ll only ask.

March: The gift of Conscious Optimism: Venus and Mars are still in a happy playful dance. This year is full of hope and joyful mingling. Get out of your routine and explore. This month, Jupiter slows to a halt. He is a happy visionary, not the visceral philosopher. He has a big heart, generous spirit and broad-thinking beliefs. If you have a planet between 22 and 28 of Libra, Aquarius, Aries or Gemini in your Vedic chart, you are in luck! Jupiter sits right on whatever that planet represents and throws luck and maybe a little unbridled optimism on you. [Watch for Jupiter at 16-22 Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus or Cancer of your Western chart.] Here’s a brief list of planetary meanings: Sun, life-force; Moon perceptions; Mercury, intellect; Venus, love; Mars, action; Jupiter, beliefs; Saturn, work; Uranus, change; Neptune mysteries and Pluto, transformation. Add luck to any of these and you are excited about the future.

In the News: The optimism in the planets is strong. The old blame game is not enough: Two issues will unite the left and the right. One is the Eminent Domain ruling passed down by the Supreme Court last summer. Local power brokers are already using it to push folks out of their homes to use that property for the “greater good” of commercial development. This pushes hard against the nation’s basic beliefs. The other is national security on the borders. Mars is decisive and direct. Expect more local action: This time by border sheriffs and local governments.

I do believe Alito will get in, but it will be a fierce fight of opposing sides. His chart looks good for a justice. Unlike Roberts, Alito does not have an abundance of easy transits in January. This will drag on. The bigger picture is the Constitution.

George W. Bush: The President should get a boost in the polls after the Iraqi election in mid-December. I doubt he will return to the level he was just after 9-11. Here is an interesting phenomenon. Uranus, the restless planet, will make its final aspect to his Mars and to his Mercury on February 19th. During the first pass of this three-part transit, a live grenade was lobbed in his direction on a trip to Germany, however, it did not detonate. On the 2nd pass, he tumbled from a bicycle in Scotland [during a similar transit he fell off a motorized skateboard and on another, he choked on a pretzel]. Uranus transits are innately unpredictable. He may take a tumble, and certainly face threats, but I don’t think he will be overtly attacked. I do believe that he will be rebellious and pull away from the far right. Expect the unexpected from his cabinet this quarter, particularly in February. It appears that Cheney’s chart is hit hardest. It doesn’t look legal so much as simply tired and he wants to spend time with family. I suppose they are all tired. Karl Rove should skate along without much trouble.

More Politicians: Did you know that W and Bill were born only 6 weeks apart? They share many similarities in their charts. W has Saturn strong and so he is more wooden. Clinton has a charming union of Venus and Mars at the front of his chart and is more fluid. Both men are having difficult transits and feeling the weight of age and mortality. Clinton has several stressful transits in January. I hope he will take it easy, a difficult thing for a busy man.

Hillary has hard transits in January, and her adversaries from both parties will hit her hard. This is the 3rd pass of these transits and I expect her to stand up to it. The same is true for Condoleezza Rice whose chart is surprisingly similar to Hillary Clinton’s: Both are tough, determined, and as everyone knows, very, very smart. The transits are even tougher for HC July through October. She’ll have more competition than we might expect. This year, she’s not only running for Senate, but trying to prove to the nation she is presidential. The old financial scandals pop up again. That’s a tall order.

Kinky Friedman has great transits in 2006. His campaign will bring humor and serious discussion to the Texas governor’s race. Take the time to read his platform. You will laugh and think more deeply than you expect.

How the Love Grows: As you might expect, love is everywhere: romance is in the news and at the dinner table. It should be a busy year for weddings and even busier for rekindled passion. Who said love can’t rise again?

Where the Money Flows: It’s flowing everywhere. 2006 is a good year for business in general, but the promised cutbacks are a reality in January. There is also growth. There is some profit taking early in the year, but the powerful transits are even better for reconstruction. That is literal in some areas, but it is a theme everywhere. What will you build? Can you build it stronger than the past? Of course, it is a great year for building trades and another good year for bio-tech. Will you participate or wait? How will you perceive the future?